The U.S. fiscal deficit hit an annualized $1.06 trillion in 2018 but relatively speaking it isn’t that bad. The fiscal deficit had hit $1.5 trillion in 2009 in the aftermath of the financial crisis and the current level is the most since 2012.

Think the global economy is slowing? The equity markets don’t think so. The S&P 500 rose 13.1% in Quarter 1 (January to March), the largest quarterly gain since 2009 and the best start to a year since 1998.

The technology heavy NASDAQ index gained 17% as the S & P technology sector gained 19.3% during the quarter. Apple and Microsoft both gained over 16% during the quarter.

With interest rate rises on hold and signs of a slowing global economy, there have been a lot of noises that house prices globally are falling. We look at how U.S. house prices are looking compared to a year ago.

The 1980s was the Japanese decade with Japanese companies being the most valuable ones in the world and Japan being at the centre of the global economic growth. But since the 1990s, Japan has struggled with growth and deflation.